Comedian and Fashion Police host Joan Rivers has been taken to a New York hospital in cardiac arrest Thursday.

Rivers, 81, was rushed to Mt. Sinai hospital in critical condition after she stopped breathing while undergoing a throat procedure at the Yorkville Endoscopy clinic, according to the New York Times and ABC News.

"This morning, Joan Rivers was taken to The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she is being attended to. Her family wants to thank everybody for their outpouring of love and support," said Sid Dinsay, a spokesman for Mount Sinai Hospital. "We will provide an update on her condition as it becomes available."

E!, where Rivers hosts Fashion Police, has reported that she is in "stable but critical" condition.

Rivers' publicist has not immediately responded to USA TODAY's request for comment.

The comedian was scheduled to make an appearance Friday at the Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey, but the theater announced Thursday that the show was postponed and tickets would be honored when it was rescheduled. "I don't go out as much as I once did," Rivers told the Asbury Park Press in advance of her show. "But I still go out and perform. I love it. I'm never going to retire. Why would I?''

Rivers has been busy promoting her latest book, Diary of a Mad Diva. In an interview with USA TODAY in July, the legendary comedian said, "Life is tough. Life is tough. I just think, 'Make them laugh.'"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Joan Rivers died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where she was rushed after she stopped breathing during surgery on her vocal chords at an endoscopy clinic on Aug. 28. Rivers had become a living legend with her unapologetic style of comedy and daring sense of fashion. Here's a look back at the diva's ultra-glam ensembles over the years. Rivers, who had recently written the book "Diary Of A Mad Diva," signs copies at Bookends Bookstore on July 1 in Ridgewood, N.J. (Photo: Jim Spellman, WireImage)

Rivers and her daughter, Melissa, are regulars on awards-show red carpets as a host and frequent guest, respectively, of the E! show "Fashion Police." Here, they attended the 2000 Academy Awards. (Photo: USA TODAY)